Chapter 1 The night he said he didn't know me.
The rain poured relentlessly, drenching everything in sight, including me.
My thin dress clung to my skin as I stood outside Daniel’s apartment, my fingers trembling as I dialed his number again.
And again.
And again.
No answer.
A knot tightened painfully in my chest.
Something wasn’t right.
Daniel would never ignore my calls… not like this.
“Please…” I whispered under my breath, my voice breaking as the rain mixed with the tears on my face. “Just pick up.”
I took a shaky step forward and knocked on the door.
Once.
Twice.
Then it opened.
But it wasn’t him.
A tall, stunning woman stood there, her arms folded, her expression cold and unimpressed.
She was wearing his shirt.
My heart stopped.
“I think you’re at the wrong place,” she said flatly.
My lips parted, but no words came out at first.
“No… this is Daniel’s apartment,” I finally managed, my voice barely steady. “Where is he?”
Before she could respond, I heard it.
His voice.
Familiar. Warm. Once comforting.
Now… distant.
“Who is it?”
My heart leapt.
“Daniel?” I called softly, hope flickering weakly inside me.
Then he appeared.
For a moment, time froze.
Our eyes met.
And in that single second… I saw it.
Hesitation.
Guilt.
Something unspoken.
But just as quickly, it vanished.
Replaced by something cold. Unrecognizable.
“I don’t know her.”
The words hit me like a slap.
My breath caught in my throat.
“What…?” I whispered, shaking my head. “Daniel, what are you saying?”
He didn’t move.
Didn’t step toward me.
Didn’t explain.
Instead, he wrapped his arm around the woman beside him, pulling her closer as if I meant nothing.
As if I had never meant anything.
“You should leave,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion.
Something inside me shattered completely.
“Daniel… please,” I begged, my voice breaking as tears streamed down my face. “Tell me this isn’t real.”
But he just looked at me… like I was a stranger.
And in that moment, I realized something terrifying.
The man I loved no longer existed.
Or maybe…
He never did.
My phone slipped from my numb fingers, hitting the ground with a dull crack.
Neither of us moved to pick it up.
The rain kept falling.
And so did my tears.
That was the night everything ended.
The night love turned into betrayal.
The night Daniel destroyed me.
And I didn’t know it yet…
But it was also the night that would change my life forever.